Two-thirds of California prison parolees end up back in prison. A relatively new program run by state and local school officials shows that number can be significantly reduced.

Only 17 percent of graduates of a Sacramento County program for
parolees have returned to prison. That's a far lower rate
than the rest of the state.

Wednesday, the Sacramento Community Based Coalition honored
350 parolees who went through its program and are now contributing
members of society. Angelica Perez is in the program,
six months sober and studying landscaping.

PEREZ: "They give me life skills, you know, the GED
program. They also give us assistance in college enrollment,
you know, vocational training."

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
funds the program. Bill Lane runs it on behalf of the County
Office of Education. It costs about $2 million per year to
run, but saves the state almost $4 million.

LANE: "We've got about 300 clients in our program
right now and there's about 5,000 men and women on parole in
Sacramento County and we really should be expanding this."

The department of Corrections says the program works here
because parolees are highly motivated, but there are no plans to
expand it.